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All concept art courses

Fast-track your career with personalized concept art courses and industry mentorship.

Student work by Steve Koo

Overview

Bring your visual storytelling to life and become a concept artist!

At CG Spectrum, you will be job-ready in just 18 months with mentorship from industry experts. Whether you want to freelance as an independent artist, or work at a major film or game studio, you'll learn job skills, master complex techniques and learn to communicate through art, creating compelling work that captivates and inspires.

Why study concept art at CG Spectrum:

  • Progress faster with mentorship from professional concept artists
  • Create a polished portfolio that stands out
  • Receive career support and guidance
  • Choose 1-on-1 or small group classes (max. 4)
  • Study online from wherever you are

CG Spectrum's online concept art courses offer a complete study pathway to get you industry-ready. Receive the highest quality education and learn the latest techniques used by major studios.

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Courses

Concept art courses that get you career-ready

Expand your digital painting skill set, learn best practices and professional lighting techniques. These courses are designed to give you the necessary skill set to prepare you for your concept art career.

Short concept art courses

Dive into the world of concept art and illustration! Choose this course if you want to pick up a new hobby and experiment with Photoshop to create your own original art.
Mentors

Learn directly from experienced professional artists

Get expert feedback and support from your industry mentor in a live Q&A call each week. All CGS mentors are established artists with years of experience creating art for films and games at top studios.

Brandon Reimchen's Work
Brandon Reimchen

Brandon Reimchen

Brandon brings almost 20 years of experience as a video game concept artist with a long client list that includes EA, Activision, Capcom, Gree, and Disney Interactive.

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Manager of Digital Painting

Known for Resident Evil

Tyler James's Work
Tyler James

Tyler James

Award-winning artist Tyler has worked with major clients like Cryptozoic and Blizzard on titles including Heroes of the Storm, Warhammer, Rift, Star Wars, Hex, Warcraft, and RWBY.

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Mentor of Concept Art & Illustration

Known for Hearthstone

John McCambridge's Work
John McCambridge

John McCambridge

John is a Lead Concept Artist and Freelance Illustrator for video games. He’s worked on video games, RPG books, and board games such as Bulletstorm, RuneScape, Saga: Rage of Vikings, and Elysium.

Mentor of Concept Art

Known for Game of Thrones (publication)

Mike Thompson's Work
Mike Thompson

Mike Thompson

Award-winning artist Mike has worked with clients such as Marvel, Hasbro, Dimension Films, HBO, Electronic Arts, Warner Bros, Mattel, DC Comics and Cartoon Network.

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Mentor of Concept Art

Known for Black Panther

Aleksei Shatunov's Work
Aleksei Shatunov

Aleksei Shatunov

Since 2017, Aleksei has worked for studios like Marvel, Upper Deck, and Ringtail studios, creating illustrations, background 2D paintings, environment art, concept art, promo art, game assets, and more.

Mentor of Concept Art

Known for Aeon Must Die

Bernie Kang's Work
Bernie Kang

Bernie Kang

Now art director at Phoenix One, Bernie created creatures, characters, weapons and FX concepts for cinematic trailers for World of Warcraft and more while at Blizzard.

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Mentor of Concept Art

Known for World of Warcraft

Humza Khan's Work
Humza Khan

Humza Khan

Humza has worked for EA, Microsoft, Activision, LucasArts, Wargaming, Ubisoft, Fischer Price, Hasbro, Mattel. Credits include: Call of Duty, The Division 2, and the Sims.

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Mentor of Concept Art

Known for Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell

Subroto Bhaumik 's Work
Subroto Bhaumik

Subroto Bhaumik

Mentor of Concept Art

Known for X-Men: Dark Phoenix

Imery Watson's Work
Imery Watson

Imery Watson

Imery's first job out of school was on the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. 20 years on he's still working as concept designer and art director with top clients like Universal, Paramount, Warner Brothers, and Disney.

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Mentor of Concept Art

Known for Warner Bros, Universal, Disney

Kinman Chan's Work
Kinman Chan

Kinman Chan

Mentor of Concept Art

Known for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Felix Bauer-Schichtegroll's Work
Felix Bauer-Schichtegroll

Felix Bauer-Schichtegroll

Mentor of Concept Art

Known for Battlefield V

Nilah Magruder's Work
Nilah Magruder

Nilah Magruder

Mentor of Concept Art

Known for Book & Comic Illustration

Dio Lee's Work
Dio Lee

Dio Lee

Mentor of Concept Art

Known for Halo Infinite

Catalin Laie's Work
Catalin Laie

Catalin Laie

Mentor of Concept Art

Known for Brother in Arms 3

Mike Meredith's Work
Mike Meredith

Mike Meredith

Mentor of Concept Art

Known for Illustrations for children's market

Mike Yamada's Work
Mike Yamada

Mike Yamada

Mentor of Concept Art

Known for Wreck it Ralph 2
Benefits

Why study at CG Spectrum

Get a more hands-on education with mentorship from top film and game experts, an industry-approved curriculum and a thriving creative community cheering you on.

By giving you access to the most talented artists in the industry, we help you to become well connected, trained and prepared for life beyond school.

What you get when studying at CG Spectrum:

  • Get job-ready in half the time of an average degree program
  • Personalized job-focused curriculum and training
  • Private 1-on-1 or small group classes (max. 4 students)
  • Live call with your mentor each week + recorded video critiques
  • Flexible schedules & 100% online, study from anywhere!

Progress faster with expert feedback from mentors and join an inspiring and supportive community of industry experts and peers.

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About us

The CG Spectrum difference

Our mission is to make sure our students are best prepared for a successful career when they graduate.

We strive to provide affordable, high quality and personalized education and believe in the power of learning first-hand from industry experts who already established a fantastic career.

What makes CG Spectrum unique:

  • Career services to accelerate your journey
  • Quality education at a fraction of the time and cost of university
  • Software licenses included, no additional costs
  • Direct access to industry mentors with years of film & game experience
  • Supportive and active community of peers, alumni & mentors

As an online school with students and mentors in 90+ countries, we're proud to bring the industry to you – wherever you are in the world!

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Student Showcase

Explore student work and see what you can learn at CG Spectrum

Our students create amazing quality work that speaks for itself. We provide you with the tools and resources to help you build a portfolio that gets noticed.

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Studios who hire our graduates
Weta Digital
Ubisoft
Dreamworks
EA
Industrial Light & Magic
Sony Pictures Animation
Frequently asked questions

Concept art FAQs

Concept artists develop the initial visual concepts (characters, props, vehicles, environments) from a script or creative brief. They set the tone and style of the work, giving life to an abstract idea. Their day can vary depending on the project.

Some general tasks that a concept artist might do in a day include:

  • Brainstorming ideas for the project with the team
  • Researching reference material
  • Sketching out ideas
  • Refining sketches into final concept art
  • Presenting the concept art to the team/client for feedback

A concept artist might also spend some time working on personal projects to improve their skills. This could involve practicing new techniques or trying out different styles. By continuously developing their skills, a concept artist can ensure that they're always able to create the best possible art for their projects and clients.

Highly skilled concept artists are in demand due to the ever-growing gaming and movie industry. These industries are always looking for talented individuals to work on a variety of projects. However, concept artist roles are extremely competitive (just head to ArtStation to see the standard of work top concept artists are producing!). So if you want to make it as a concept artist, you have to be prepared to put in the work!

To become a concept artist, you first need to develop your skills and expand your portfolio. This can be done by taking a course, studying the work of other artists, and practicing as much as possible.

Next, you'll need to network and build relationships with people in the industry so you can learn about new projects, show off your skills, and get your foot in the door.

Finally, you need to be patient and persistent. It takes time and hard work to succeed in any field, but if you're passionate about art and willing to put in the effort, then a career in concept art could be right for you. 

Besides becoming a Concept Artist, an artist with additional illustration skills could explore careers as a Digital Illustrator, Comic Illustrator, Game Illustrator, Book Illustrator, Keyframe Illustrator, Character Designer, Environment Designer, or Asset Designer. Explore all digital painting jobs. 

You need to be able to draw well enough to communicate your ideas visually to your clients or colleagues. Concept artists require a strong foundation in the basics of art and design, as well as composition, color theory, and lighting. 

Concept artists typically use various mediums to create their work, including traditional media like pencils and paints, as well as digital painting programs like Adobe Photoshop and 3D modeling software such as Blender or ZBrush. 

No, you don't need a drawing tablet to be a concept artist, but it will make your life easier. A drawing tablet gives you the ability to create digital art for film and games more efficiently. Most clients will expect to receive digital files, and it is faster to save different versions and make changes based on client feedback.

While you can find some cheaper alternatives, we recommend investing in a quality tablet that will last you a long time and provide a great experience.

CG Spectrum has given me the skills I need to make my art a professional career.

I've always wanted to pursue training in concept art, but living rurally I never had the opportunity to do so, until I came across CG Spectrum. The online learning capacity allowed me to study from home. My mentor gave me detailed critiques, not just pointing out flaws, but painting over and showing how to improve them. I was always encouraged to push the envelope, and gained valuable insight into the industry. A fantastic school, I highly recommend it!

Katinka T
Katinka T
Concept Art

I honestly couldn’t have had a better experience with the classes.

I got an hour each week of dedicated one on one time with the mentor. He would give me critiques and paint overs of my work. The paint overs from a professional are the biggest benefit in my opinion. Not only are the classes immensely helpful, the staff are quick to answer emails and they even went out of their way to send my certificates to colleges here in the USA, which helped me get accepted to some of the top art schools on the east coast. 

Brandon J
Brandon J
Concept Art

Training with a mentor 1-on-1 was instrumental in learning what to expect in the industry.

Shortly after completing the course, I landed several long term projects. I'm very grateful for the time and patience my mentors gave me. Highly recommend CG Spectrum to anyone looking to learn new skills or up their game in the digital art world.

Tani G
Tani G
Concept Art